Match

6: Work, Practice, Work

To Cole, the upside of working at a breakfast and brunch restaurant is you get to leave in the early afternoon. Which leaves him plenty of time for the rest of the day. The down side?

"God that mother's kid was so annoying," one of the waitresses mutters to the other.

"I bet you her daughter's nine and doesn't know proper table manners."

He's used to the bickering happening behind closed doors. It happens so frequently he tunes it out through movement from table to table. He's a waiter, after all. Serving customers, greeting them, thanking them for coming, retrieving tips, rinse and repeat. Some days the customers will only chat with the people they accompany, some days he'll have to converse with them.

The restaurant, called 'Jewel's Sunny Side Up', is a comfortable small eatery that radiates a homely atmosphere. The pastel blue walls are decorated with portraits of the family that owns the restaurant. Fake potted plants align the shelves, glazed wooden dining tables and chairs crowd the centre. Booths cover a good portion of a barren wall near the back. Natural sunlight seeps through velvet curtains, while lights from the ceiling above beam down, creating circle shapes on the carpet.

Cole scrubs a table clean after a family of four departed. From behind he hears the bell chime, signalling someone entering the restaurant. He turns and sees a waitress already greeting the man who entered. In front of him, a clock strikes 1 o'clock sharp. Just one more hour to go and it's closing time, he thinks. After the table is scrubbed spotless he walks to the kitchen to grab clean silverware and napkins. He's stopped by another waiter.

"Here," he says, handing Cole silverware and napkins. "I was just about to help you."

"Oh, thanks." Cole takes the items.

"Not so busy today, eh?"

"Just wait until summer break starts," he says, then walks back to the table.

He's been dreading the break, inching closer day by day. It's only been his first day back on the job, but he already wants it to be his last. There's not much of a choice for him, though. He gets paid well and lives a ten minute walk away. He sets down the silverware and napkins in a neat fashion and overhears a waitress taking the man's order.

"Just some coffee and a croissant, please."

"Oh, I'm sorry. We're out of croissants for today."

"Really?"

"I can recommend you a blueberry bagel with raspberry cream cheese, instead, if that's okay?"

"Sure that'd be dandy."

Cole feels an internal sigh of relief. He thinks back on a customer earlier this morning who complained because they didn't get enough blueberry jam for their toast. No tip from that guy.

In no time the hour flies by. Him and his crew clean up the restaurant for closing time. Cole eavesdrops on another co-worker gossiping about a customer who came in the restaurant with a stained shirt. Part of him wishes he could speak his mind, but since he's a rank lower than them, he holds his tongue and recounts money in the till.

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"Let's have a quick stretch before we warm-up for tonight's practice."

Coach Ryan, along with the team, form a circle and begin with leg splits. Only eight players could make it to the practice tonight. The sky overhead is clouded and threatening a rainstorm, but only teases with small droplets.

"Oh my GOD!"

Everyone turns to face the player, Joel, wailing in agony.

"Don't overdo it if you can't stretch that far, man," Jordan says.